


Life Is A Fucking Nightmare

by Fallingoutofpaickedpilots



Category: Newsies
Genre: F/F, M/M, This is v gay btw, also nothing is accurate probably, its what Queens is up to during the strike, send help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-27 02:28:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14415681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallingoutofpaickedpilots/pseuds/Fallingoutofpaickedpilots
Summary: Some Newsies ocs from Queens I madeplease don’t hurt me—————Spider was known for her climbing abilities, which definitely helped hawking headlines in Queens, gathering attention in the best way possible.Badger was known as ‘the Spot Conlon of Queens’ and she damn well deserved that title. She always seemed to be in a fight with someone and she always won.Dragonfly could get you information. You wanted to know what Jack Kelly was up to September 23rd 1897? He was talking himself out of a trip to the refuge. Good luck getting anything past her.Smudge was the youngest and most responsible, always sticking to the truth and never getting off track. But it always ended in a day's pay.





	1. Hmmm... cats

Spider was the one person in all of Queens who managed to get themselves stuck in this situation. On top of a lamppost surrounded by stray cats. This was fine. Great great great. Everything was fiiiiiine. Until she slipped and fell off. She landed in a pile of dirt, which wasn’t the most pleasant, but she’s off the lamppost. So she started to run. With at least ten cats behind her.

 

 _Man, imagine if you saw a fifteen year old kid running from a bunch of cats. Not a situation you get yourself into every day._ She thought, skidding around the corner and bolting into the Queens boarding house, slamming the door behind her. Badger, Smudge, and Dragonfly looked up from a game of chess.

“Can you please explain why you’re covered in dirt and have brought a dozen cats to the door?” Badger said after a long, agonizing pause.

“I fed one part of a sandwich and they multiplied! It’s like they came out of thin air!” It’s not like Spider wasn’t just as confused as the others. “Basically , you forked up.” Dragonfly raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, whatever. We’ll wait them out. What are y’all doing anyway?” Spider flopped onto the open chair next to Smudge, who scooted away. He was the newest, and still didn’t completely trust the girls he lived with. “They’re arguing about who’s going to get together first: Spot and Race or Jack and Crutchie.” Smudge sighed.

 

“Obviously it’s Spot and Race!”

“No, have you seen how Crutchie has been looking at Jack lately?!”

“Race and Spot latch onto each other during gambling nights!”

“Dude, Jack and Crutchie sleep on the roof together.”

“... you win.” Badger sighs in defeat. “I’m going out back. The flytraps aren’t watering themselves!” She stands up and leaves with a lazy wave. There’s a content silence for the next few minutes, broken only by a swear from Spider or something being dropped by Smudge.

 

Dragonfly stretched. “Well, this has been calm.”

Badger walked in, wiping dirt off her hands. “Alright everyone, go the f*ck to sleep.”

“It’s 9PM.”

“Shut up, Smudge.”

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Specs tells Queens just what the hell Manhattan’s doing.

Dragonfly rolled out of bed five minutes before the bell, like normal, and threw on her clothes. She hit Spider with her cap and threw Badger’s vest at her. She pulled Smudge out of bed. “Alllllll right people! It’s Monday morning and those papes ain’t gonna sell themselves!” Spider grumbled and pulled on her pants as Badger and Smudge got into a mock fistfight.

Everyone rushed out the door to get their papes, stopping to chat with some of the other Queens newsies. Smudge did a quick headcount. He liked to keep track of everyone, just to make sure that everyone was okay. “Stripes, Gunner, Thomas, Thread, Ink- everyone’s good. Alright Queens! Get out there and sell some papes!” He raised his voice at the last part, and Gunner elbowed him in the ribs. “One problem with that. They raised the pape prices.”   
“They what?”  
“They raised the prices.”  
“That’s sick! We’ll just have to go somewhere else.” Smudge started to Manhattan before being interrupted by Stripes. “They changed it all over New York. We ain’t got nowhere to go. I vote we take the papes while we can.” The newsies nodded and mumbled agreements, not thinking they could really fight Pulitzer at the moment. 

Badger took her normal spot on the corner, by a small local book store. She yelled random headlines- today’s wasn’t interesting enough. (Who wants to read about some dude who robbed a homeless guy?) She sold her papers around four. She was counting up how much she sold that day when she saw a Manhattan newsie, Specs, if she remembered right, running past her. “Hey! Manhattan! What do you think you’se doin’!” She called out at him. “Oh! Didn’t see ya- you’se a Queens newsie, right?”   
“Well, we’se in Queens, so It'd seem so.”   
“Great. Manhattan’s on strike against the new pape prices.”  
“I’m sorry, say that again?”   
“Manhattan’s on strike.”  
“Oh, this outta be news. Lemme grab the others, see what they make’a this.” Badger ran off the find the others, leaving Specs to trot behind her. 

It took around half an hour to get everyone into the boarding house and quiet. “All right everyone! Listen up! Manhattan’s on strike against the new pape prices. Who wants to join ‘em?” Badger asked from her place on the top bunk.   
“What’s Brooklyn doing about it?” Spider dropped down from her place on a high window.   
“We don’t know yet.” Specs said.  
“We join after we get the nod from Brooklyn. But before that, we’s here as backup.” Badger concluded. Specs left without another word.  
“If one of us gets shoved into the refuge, then we pull out, okay?” Dragonfly spoke up from underneath Badger.   
“Of course. Now everyone go to bed, because we sure have a hell of a day tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop there it is  
> I’m sorry the chapters are short- this is my first fic!


	3. That’s gotta hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spider and Dragonfly argue. RIP Smudge. Introducing Badger’s roses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry

The Queens newsies had an agreement: the kids not in the boarding house got a free day on Saturday and the boarding house kids got Sunday. Today was a Sunday. Badger was out to Manhattan, getting information on the strike. Smudge woke up at around ten am to the sound of Spider and Dragonfly arguing. A rare occurrence, especially on a Sunday. The two normally got along just fine. Smudge had even rumors they were together. But the rising prices must have taken a toll. “We have no chance of winning!” Dragonfly started. “We can’t go long without selling!”   
Spider scoffed. “We have to try! Whadda ya think Brooklyn’ll think of us if we back down now!”   
“It sounds to me like you care more about your reputation with Brooklyn than us!”   
“I-“  
“Shut up! Please!”   
Spider stood, frozen in place. Dragonfly had never told anyone to shut up. The argument had clearly gone on for at least an hour, and had escalated quickly. Dragonfly was close to tears.   
“Spider, I-“   
Spider suddenly snapped out of it. “I don’t need apologies. I need an actual, official decision made. Find me when you’re done.” She turned on a dime and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. Dragonfly looked horrified with herself. She took a step towards the still open door before she broke down.   
Smudge silently crawled down from his bunk and sank down next to Dragonfly. “It’s going to be okay. She’ll come back. She always does.” He whispered, again and again until Dragonfly calmed down, clinging to him like a lifeline. She wiped her tears away.   
Over three hours later, Spider wasn’t back. Badger had returned from Manhattan, and was pacing the floor.   
“We have to find Spider.” Dragonfly was looking at the ground, staring at one spot. “She’s never gone this long.”   
Smudge looked at Badger, who nodded. “Let’s split up. I’ll take the parks, Smudge takes the riverside, and Dragonfly gets the streets.”   
The three ran in separate directions, searching everywhere.

Smudge checked up and down the river, both sides. He found no clues.  
Badger had checked every park. Every square inch was looked at. All she found was a disgruntled group of pigeons.

Dragonfly ran up and down streets until she found a dark alleyway. She heard a muffled sob and the crumpled shape of a scrawny sixteen year old girl with a purple bandana around her forehead. Dragonfly let out a breath she had been holding for a while, before she noticed the blood. There was a puddle of sticky, wet blood surrounding Spider’s head like a twisted, evil halo. Dragonfly ran into the alley, collapsing in front of Spider. “What happened? Please, talk to me..” She choked out through a sob. Spider shuddered. “Dragonfly, you gorgeous idiot.” She reached up to cup Dragonfly’s cheek.   
“Stop crying, I hate seeing you like that.” She smiled weakly. Dragonfly leaned into her hand, trying desperately to stop crying. She just couldn’t. Every time she looked at the damned blood around Spider. Now that she was closer, she could see the details clearly. A hit to the head, probably by a bat. Hits to the torso, a few to the legs. Spider’s arms were covered in bruises and cuts that hurt to look at. “We’ve gotta get you home. ASAP.” Dragonfly choked out, slipping her arms under Spider’s almost unconscious body and lifted the other up bridal style. Dragonfly was surprisingly strong, she looked rather thin. Spider cling to Dragonfly, losing consciousness quickly. Dragonfly started running to find the others. It would be a weird scene. A platinum blonde girl running through the streets of downtown Queens, carrying a scrawny Italian girl who’s bleeding from to many places to count at a glance. “Just hold on, love.” Dragonfly mumbled, more to herself than to Spider, who was limp in her arms.

Badger found them first. She took one look before getting a hard gleam in her blue eyes. “Get Spider to the boarding house. I’ll meet you there after I get Smudge. Hurry, she’s losing a lot of blood.” Badger turned and bolted before Dragonfly could get a word in. 

Dragonfly blinked back tears. She had managed to make it to the boarding house without collapsing, and Smudge, knowing the most about treating injuries, shoved Badger and herself out so he could get to work. Dragonfly and Badger sat on a bench in Badger’s small, growing garden. It was in full bloom, but Dragonfly couldn’t appreciate it. Not with Spider a few yards away, dead or dying. She stared at the ground, blinking back tears. If she cried anymore she thought she could open a water park. 

Badger sat on the ground by her roses. She patted the ground next to her. “Come here. Sit down.”   
Dragonfly collapsed onto the ground next to her friend.   
“You know Smudge won’t let Spider die, right? He doesn’t have it in him.” Badger tried to reassure her. Dragonfly sighed. “I don’t know- I just… she’s done so much for me. For all of us. She’s like a fire, y’know? She could burn me down but I still love her.” Dragonfly could barely be heard, and her voice was rough. Badger hugged her. “It’ll turn out ok.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t hurt me the next chapter is coming out next week Saturday


	4. Them Brooklyn boys is big

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spider and Badger head to Brooklyn to short some shit out. Badger’s height is revealed.

Spider squinted at the sudden light. She could make out a blurred face, probably Smudge. She sat bolt upright. “Where’s- ow- where’s Dragonfly?” Smudge looked up from his work on her leg. “Stay down, you broke a rib- she’s outside.”  
“Please bring her here. Please.” Spider pleaded, laying back down.

Smudge opened the back door of the large brick building. “Guys? Spider’s awake. She’s asking for Dragonfly.”  
Dragonfly looked up. She was a mess, but she stood up, brushed as much mud as she could off her skirt, and went inside. 

Spider looked up as Dragonfly came in, the familiar click of her worn shoes a welcome sound after the yelling and sobbing of the alleyway. Dragonfly took Spider’s hand after pulling up one of the almost broken stools to Spider’s bed. Smudge had slipped out to the garden. The quiet was uncomfortable.  
“What happened out there, Spi?” Dragonfly whispered softly.  
“I- I don’t know. Two guys, looked like brothers, came up behind me. ‘We’ve seen your fellow Queens newsies in Brooklyn.’ They said.’Stay out. Consider this your warning.’ And they started hitting me, and kicking me, they- they got a knife, and- I’m glad I managed to get out alive, Dragonfly.” Spider said, shaking. Dragonfly clutched Spider’s hand.  
“We’ll take care of it. No one will ever get hurt because of someone else again. I’ll make sure of it.” She rested her forehead against Spider’s. “Badger ‘n I will go right now to sort it out with Spot.”  
“That is the stupidest plan ever. Spot’ll soak ya.” Spider propped herself up on one elbow, wincing slightly, because, y’know, broken rib.  
“I don’t care.”

 

Badger and Dragonfly arrived at the Brooklyn house a little past six. A kid who couldn’t have been older than eleven spotted them through the window and yelled something at someone inside. More younger kids scrambled to the window to watch what happened. A taller kid, looked about seventeen, opened the door. “What do you want?” She said, after shooing the kids from the window.  
“We need to speak with Spot.” Badger, despite being 5’3, stood as confidently as possible.  
“Spot’s out. I’m in charge right now.” The Brooklyn newsie snarled.  
“Fine. I’m Badger, this is Dragonfly. Our friend got soaked by some of your newsies. She’s currently at the boarding house with a broken rib and covered in bruises and cuts. Says they pulled a knife on her. What’s up with that, huh?” Badger said, shooting a glare up at the newsie.  
“First off, I’m Rebel, thanks for asking. And second, I don’t know nothin’ about my newsies soakin’ no sucker.” She crossed her arms in front of her.  
“Yeah, they’re probably too cowardly to say anything. You can’t say anythin’ to protect them. They mess with one of us they mess with all of us. Once we figure out who did it we’ll mess ‘em up so bad they won’t be able to think straight for months.” Dragonfly was angry. And she was scary when she was angry. She was almost yelling at the end of her sentence. Before Rebel could get a word in, she turned and ran, Badger not far behind. Badger managed to get in front of her and stop. “That was the worst thing you could possibly do. What will Spot do when he finds out!? He’ll kill you!” Badger paced on the street, the rare person who passed avoided her. She looked pretty out of place in uptown Queens. They both did, really.  
“Badger, come on. You can take Spot.” Dragonfly started walking.  
“No, I can’t! He’s 5’4 of pure rage! I’m 5’3 of recklessness and anxiety! Everything I do is for show!” Badger walked beside her.  
“Mhm. That’s why you beat up the kid who kicked a dog.”  
“.. maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this chapter was so short! It was a busy week, and I didn’t get much of a chance to read! Thanks for making it this far!

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I’ve done a fic and I did most of this at two am, constructive criticism would be appreciated


End file.
